Content:

“We, the people, our personalities and our relationships, shall be at the centre of society. However, relationships cannot be sustained without caring for them. The Sunday is dedicated to this, it is the day of promise and recovery for our week”. This statement is part of a declaration in favour of a work-free Sunday, which the young people of Kolpingverband Cologne have recently drawn up to demonstrate their commitment to the European Sunday Alliance. Yet, their declaration is just one part of a creative compilation of song texts, team games, and recommendations for spare-time activities for a Sunday.

SLOVAKIA:

In the Slovak daily "Katolicke noviny" the member of the Slovak Sunday Alliance Peter Novovesky summarizes the initiatives with the aim to promote the work-free Sunday in Slovakia. He describes the activities of the Independent Christian Trade Unions that used to be striving for the inclusion of the Sunday protection in the Slovak Labor Code at the level of some other EU Countries (Germany, Austria, etc.). He informs the readers about the establishment of the Alliance for Free Sunday, Slovakia, and its effort to adopt the legislation on Sunday protection in 2009. At the same time he points out the creation of the European Sunday Alliance in June 2011 in Brussels and its future activities.

WORLD: Decent work Story

International Labour Organization

Work is central to people's well-being. In addition to providing income, work can pave the way for broader social and economic advancement, strengthening individuals, their families and communities. Such progress, however, hinges on work that is decent. Decent work sums up the aspirations of people in their working lives.

The ILO has developed an agenda for the community of work. It provides support through integrated Decent Work Country Programmes developed in coordination with its constituents. Putting the Decent Work Agenda into practice is achieved through the implementation of the ILO's four strategic objectives, one of which is:

allow adequate free time and rest, take into account family and social values

In its judgement (G 66/11-8) of 14 June 2012 the Austrian Constitutional Court confirmed that the prohibition on shop opening on Sundays and bank holidays is consistent with the Austrian constitution. The overall objectives of shop closing or opening hours are: the protection of the interests of consumers, the aims of the competition regime and the socio-political function. All of these objectives would be in the public interest, says the Court.

The National Court is Spain gave unions satisfaction. Supermarket employees will be entitled to at least five weekends off a year, regardless of the fact that their workload is divided over 4, 5 or 6 days a week. The National Court gave satisfaction to the CCOO and UGT unions against the sector's employers' organizations, which claimed that this right was reserved to 6 days a week. (Ref. 120408)

ANCI and the three Italian unions CGIL, CISL and UIL have decided to develop a permanent discussion table on the topic of liberalisations of working hours and openings of stores, norm included in the “Salva Italia” act, on which it is necessary to reflect and evaluate also in regard to possible effects and implication.